AN EPISTLE OF THE TWELVE 'To the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints-Greeting: Dear Brethren:...The Temple, as a great and glorious public work, immediately connected with the completion of our preparation, and ordinances, touching our salvation and exaltation, and that of our dead, necessarily claims our first, and most strict attention. And we rejoice to say for the encouragement of all, that its walls are now ready to receive the capitals, and the arches of the upper story windows; and in fact, seven of the capitals are already reared. The timbers are also being framed, and reared on the inside. In short it is progressing with a rapidity which is truly astonishing.
The gathering, next claims our attention as a work of salvation, to be accomplished in wisdom and prudence. Your Prophets and Apostles, have often told you, that the saints cannot gather together in large numbers, and be able to enjoy the comforts and necessaries of life...
If the saints will commence and follow out this plan, and lay out their cash for the raw material, and employ their friends and themselves at home, instead of sending away all our cash for manufactured goods, we can soon produce millions of wealth, and the poor will have no cause of complaint...
Let the saints now send in their young men who are strong to labor, together with money, provisions, clothing, tools, teams, and every necessary means, such as they know they will want when they arrive, for the purpose of forwarding this work.
Brethren, bring all your tithings into the storehouse and prove the Lord, and see if he will not pour out a blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive.
Yes, brethren, we verily know and bear testimony, that a cloud of blessing and of endowment, and of the keys of the fulness of the priesthood, and of things pertaining to eternal life, is hanging over us, and ready to burst upon us; ...
we wish to suppress all grogshops, gambling houses, and all other disorderly houses or proceedings in our city, and to tolerate no intemperance or vice in our midst. And so far at least as the members of the church are concerned, we would advise that balls, dances, and other vain and useless amusements be neither countenanced nor patronized;...
But it is not now a time for dancing or frolics but a time of mourning, and of humiliation and prayer.
... [Signed] BRIGHAM YOUNG. President.'
[1844-October 1-DHC 7:280-283; Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]
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